word of the year

My friend Elisa challenged me a few years ago to focus different seasons of my life on a word or phrase that God might be wanting to grow me in.  

Now, every new school year, I pray that the Lord will give put a new song in my heart (Psalms 96:1), a new theme, a new focus, a new word.  I pray that He'll give me HIS word for my life, that I might seek it out in His word, meditate on it in my day to day, watch it stretch and grow me in new ways.

It's so easy to get busy and stop stretching, stop seeking.  This is just one of those ways I try to stay fresh in my pursuit of our never-changing God.

Last year, my word was one of pause...that I might pause before I acted, before I reacted, before I felt, even, and beg for His insight, His heart, His perspective.  I also free-loaded on Emily's word many times, that of release, releasing unto the Lord my worries, my burdens, my children, my ______.  

And so this year as I've been praying and seeking for my new focus, I've felt Him point out to me over and over and in ways unexpected that I might truly become a woman of prayer...and as I have been praying over the word "prayer", that I might "praise."  

It's been affirmed by several people and by my time in the Word (I'm in Psalms, and crying out to the Lord and praising Him, regardless, is abundant), and so I've claimed the words Prayer and Praise as my own.  I cleared my prayer board, as I do each new year, topped it with Prayer and Praise, and have left it empty for Him to fill with those prayers and people He continually will lay on my heart.  

Already, He's been stretching me to be praising Him in all things, and already, He's been pointing out times in my day-to-day that could be dedicated to, committed to prayer...and as I pray, already I'm seeing His "lasting imprint on every area of my life."  

I'm looking forward with (to be honest) hesitation to the ways He will stretch my relationship with Him this year as I choose praying and praising, NOW and the many "then's" unknown.  

Tomorrow's September 1...maybe that's not what you think of as a new year.  But each month, each week, each day, it's a new chance to seek Him, to ask Him, to remember Him, to submit to Him, to Lord Him, to embrace Him, to allow Him.  

What's His Word for you this season, for His glory?



***Update - Woudislande has been sent home from the hospital with baby Miloura, and Micheline is in the Dominican trying to get medical care, and now has a minor surgery scheduled for the 11th...so she's out of the picture for a while.  Woudislande is doing ok...but just really not great, and is also continuing to struggle with pain and with taking her medication and eating the way she needs to, perhaps some post-natal depression things going on as well.  Complicated situation = still in great need of your prayers.  Thank you.